


You make it better like that

by Aces_and_Roses



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 00:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19982983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aces_and_Roses/pseuds/Aces_and_Roses
Summary: Zolf really, really didn’t want to be at this party. In fact, he couldn’t help but think that, at that exact moment, he would rather be literally anywhere else on the planet.





	You make it better like that

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cruelest_month](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cruelest_month/gifts).



> For the prompt: Shy kiss. Cross-posted from tumblr  
> Title from "I Don't Care" by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber, 'cause it was the song that gave me the idea for this fic.

Zolf really, _really_ didn’t want to be at this party. In fact, he couldn’t help but think that, at that exact moment, he would rather be literally anywhere else on the planet. Well, maybe not _anywhere_ ; there were a lot of other terrible places to be, but he would be hard-pressed to come up with any of them, given his current state of complete and utter misery.

There were many factors contributing to Zolf’s feelings about this party, including but not limited to: he was surrounded by upper-class people, all of whom were involved with or adjacent to the al-Tahan banks in some way or other, meaning that any conversation he ended up getting dragged into seemed to revolve solely around figures with about four more digits than he could comfortably conceptualize; he was surrounded by upper-class people, which meant that he’d ended up being forced into a stiff and uncomfortable suit (honestly, he didn’t know how Hamid could stand wearing them _all the time_ ) that was apparently just shabby enough to stand out (or maybe that was just because _he_ was the one wearing it); he was surrounded by upper-class people, to whom he was apparently enough of an oddity that they deemed it acceptable to paw at his arms, hair, and beard without permission, and with no regard to how uncomfortable it made him (which he knew showed on his face, he’d always been bad at lying). All in all, most of the reasons came down to the people he was surrounded by, or more importantly, how out of place he was among them.

Hamid, on the other hand, was in his element entirely. He moved easily from group to group, conversation to conversation, topic to topic, following along effortlessly (even contributing ideas of his own occasionally). Zolf felt like he was drowning, and as he watched Hamid flourish, he had to fight down the urge to attach himself to Hamid’s side and never let go.

Zolf watched as Hamid chatted with an older woman a few meters away, all easy charm and easy conversation, sparkling smiles and sparkling eyes (and Zolf was getting distracted, but could you blame him? It wasn’t like he really _wanted_ to focus on any other part of this party which seemed to have been designed to torture him, specifically). Hamid glanced up from the woman, meeting Zolf’s eyes, and gave him a warm smile, all while Zolf had to fight down the urge to glance away, latching onto the knowledge that this was _fine_ , he was allowed look, now.

(It had been almost three months since he and Hamid had started dating, but it still seemed unreal at times. Times like this, when Hamid would catch him staring from across a room, or others, when Hamid would realize that Zolf had spent an entire conversation focused on his mouth instead of his eyes. Times like this, when Zolf fought down the urge to look away, to let the embarrassment bring heat to his face, or others, when he didn’t quite manage to resist and would instead have his gaze brought back to Hamid’s under the direction of a gentle hand on his cheek.)

Hamid made a small gesture outside of the woman’s eye-line for Zolf to come over and join him, but Zolf shook his head, even though he wanted nothing more than to get closer to him (before he inevitably got forced into another uncomfortable conversation with someone who saw him as nothing more than some irregularity for them to carefully observe and catalogue). Hamid must have read his mind, however (or maybe Zolf’s thoughts were just _that_ obvious in his expression), because he excused himself from his discussion and began making his way over to Zolf.

“Y’know,” Zolf drawled once Hamid was close enough to hear him, “I’m pretty sure you just broke that poor woman’s heart coming over here.” Said woman had been staring after Hamid as he left her, something like disappointment in her countenance as he got further and further away (without looking back even once).

“Hmm, well, I’m sure she can handle it.” Hamid came closer, close enough that he had to crane his neck up slightly to look Zolf in the eyes. “Besides, I’d much rather be here with you.”

There was something stunningly beautiful about Hamid as Zolf looked down at him (well, Zolf always thought he was beautiful, but the point still stood). His eyes were bright, shining a little in the light cast by the chandeliers, and he had a small smile on his face (the slightly lopsided one he only gave when he was really, truly happy). It was mesmerizing, and before he realized what he was doing Zolf found himself leaning down to kiss him.

The kiss was soft and sweet. Hamid’s arms came up to wrap around Zolf’s shoulders, pushing himself up onto his toes so Zolf didn’t have to crane his neck as far. Zolf’s hands moved to rest on Hamid’s waist, holding him close. It was barely more than a press of lips, but Zolf felt himself relaxing nonetheless, all the tension that had been building since they’d gotten there draining out of him as he smiled into it.

Then he noticed the noises. A quiet gasp off to his left. A hushed whisper somewhere behind him. A stifled snicker, just close enough to for him to hear. And he was suddenly, absolutely certain that all of them were directed at him and Hamid.

He pulled back from the kiss almost as quickly as he’d begun it, gaze dropping to the floor next to Hamid’s left shoe as he felt his face heat up in embarrassment. “Sorry, sorry,” he murmured, so quiet he wasn’t entirely sure that Hamid could hear it. “I don’t know why I… Sorry.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” Hamid said, just as quietly, gently guiding Zolf to look at him again.

“We’re in public.” Hamid raised one eyebrow as if to say _‘So?’_. “With people that know you.” His expression remained exactly the same, so Zolf continued. “Doesn’t that… I dunno, bother you? To be seen with, well, me?”

“Why would it?” If this were anyone else, Zolf would wonder if they were just having him on, but Hamid didn’t lie to him, and his expression was the very picture of sincerity as he asked the question.

“I don’t exactly fit in with these people.”

“I suppose not,” Hamid said with a shrug.

“You’re not worried about what they’ll think, seeing us?”

“I care about you a whole lot more than I do them.” Zolf must have looked confused, because Hamid sighed, his hands moving from Zolf’s shoulders to rest on his hips. “Look, Zolf, if you don’t like PDA that’s fine, I understand. But I don’t care what anyone else thinks, so don’t let those worries stop you, okay, love?”

Zolf’s heart stuttered in his chest at the pet name, but he managed to nod anyway, and Hamid smiled (that beautiful lopsided smile). One of his hands came up to cup the back to Zolf’s head, pulling him down into another kiss just as sweet as the last.

(It really didn’t matter what anyone else thought of them, did it?)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr at redactedquill, shoot me a prompt if you feel like it


End file.
